


The Psychic Cats of London.

by LarkandLioness



Category: Shades of London Series - Maureen Johnson
Genre: Cats, F/M, Gen, Ghost Hunters, Ghosts, I'm Sorry, Imagine your OTP, London Underground, POV First Person, Prompt Fic, Scene Gone Wrong, Shopping, The Author Regrets Everything, Tumblr Prompt, Tumblr: otpprompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-15 14:54:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19298020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LarkandLioness/pseuds/LarkandLioness
Summary: Names of famous fictional characters were used to protect the innocent author.





	1. A Problem at Home.

**Author's Note:**

> Names of famous fictional characters were used to protect the innocent author.

  
The news Bilbo Baggins would be throwing his hundredth birthday party at his large, fascinating Mansion, specifically for all the children, and there would be moutains of candy. It was the biggest news ever to four or five year-old me!

Or was I 6-8? 

He always gave us king-size candy bars on Halloween. That's all you need to know about him. 

There was a pinata. . . And balloons! I picked out an orange one I named Jackie. I lost it while I played outside. I cried for hours. 

My parents made phone calls, asking people if they'd seen it, or look out for it, as I sat hunched over the kitchen table and drew "Lost!" Posters. I thought my parents could put them on a blimp, and Jackie would see them from high in the sky and come home. 

Jackie was found at twilight, trapped under our car in the driveway. Smaller, but definitely the same balloon, I knew it! 

When she fell to the ground a few days later, dying, I sucked the helium out, and made a thing of all the things Jackie saw while flying before she deflated. 

Balloons come back. They stick around. Like me. Like cats. I had a cat at my home. So why not..? 

"I want a cat, why can't we have a cat?" I asked my boyfriend. 

Light from the living room window played briefly over Stephen's pale face, made his brown hair look black, and caused his glasses to shine onimously, but then the sun went out as he said "We likely can't afford one." He turned back to his work. 

I bounded around the couch to his side, and got in his face. I pouted prettily. "I want a kitten, why can't we have a kitten? I'll take care of it!" 

Stephen sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. I wore him down! "Two kittens it is!" I cheered.  
"Rory, do you even realize how much work one cat would be, let alone two kittens?" 

"I had a cat back home."  
"Have you even discussed this with the others?" He asked. 

I made a series of "wait right there, hold that thought, this is gonna be great!" Gestures, and ran out of the room. 

I found Freddie reading a thick book. "The ancients said that cats had the ability to see ghosts." She said. She barely looked up from her book as she nodded. I nodded back, and left her behind to find Boo. 

She was watching TV with Callum. "I used to go run with big dogs, but I don't mind a cat." Her gold triangular earrings jangled as she shook her head with a smile. 

We turned and looked at Callum, who stared intently at the action on the screen. The only thing that moved was his arm as he reached into a bag of chips beside him. "I was too busy with sports for pets, but I don't care as long as they don't get into the food." He said, and dug back into his food. 

"That's great, thanks guys!" I called out over my shoulder as I turned to find Stephen again. 

"...And just think of the kitty, soft and fuzzy and purry, and aww, c'mon, please?" I held my hands in front of myself. Stephen looked at me briefly, then took off his glasses, and whiped them on his shirt for a long time. "Alright." 

"...Alright?" 

"We can get a cat." 

I cheered, whooped, and hollered, and gave him a flying tackle-hug so hand, he almost fell over. I buried my face into his chest. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I squealed, my voice muffled by his shirt. He froze, stunned physically and emotionally. Then I felt him relax, and his arms tightened a little around me. "You're welcome." 

We stayed like that, mutually basking in the moment, then I whispered in his ear, or close enough. "So hun, why the change of heart?" He mumbled something I couldn't catch. "What?" I asked. 

He coughed nervously. "Nothing, it's nothing!" He insisted. He broke the hug. 

After dinner, Stephen cleared the kitchen table off and called everyone in for a meeting. We sat down and looked at each other curiously, except, I noticed, for Stephen. He was busy bringing out a pen and a stack of paper. He looked at the paper at the top of the pile, then cleared his throat. 

"Right, here's a list of rules to follow, which is by no means complete," He announced. Callum groaned loudly. 

Stephen continued as if he hadn't heard. "As such, it will be referred to as list C-A, in which case it will be upgraded to --" 

"No!" Callum shouted, horrified. 

"Excellent," Stephen paused, and ran a finger down the list. "First, check kitty isn't behind, or inside, the fridge Callum and Rory. Callum, no leaving any sweets or spicy food out.  
"Boo, Callum, don't make a mess in the loo. And Callum, remember to leave the seat down. Boo? Don't leave your beauty products out anymore." He ordered. "If you don't follow these rules, the kitten could be killed quite easily. Does everyone understand?" Stephen asked. 

We all nodded. 

Stephen slid papers across the table to each of us. My eyes widened as I read mine. "Here's a list of supplies we'll need." I head him say. "If you don't have any pressing matters, get your coat!" 

"We're going shopping for cat toys!" I cheered, and jumped up. 

The aisle was SMALL, and the selection of toys available was crappy, but I refused to let this get me down! I picked up a toy and squeezed it. It made a noise that reminded me of home. I picked up another one that sounded melodic next to the first one. I laughed and ran to pick up another, and another... 

"This always happens. You'd think I'd have protocol set up by now for things such as this." Stephen sighed, as we almost got kicked out thanks to a very loud dinosaur toy. 

I made a sympathetic noise, and stood on my toes to comfortably pat his head. "You will someday. Soon. Someday soon." I reassured my boyfriend as we walked down the next cat-themed aisle. I looked around. "Ohh, cat trees!" I gasped, and pointed at a line of them that stood at the very back. I tugged excitedly at Stephen's hand. 

"Let's not look at those just yet," Stephen argued. And he actually dug his heels in. 

"Why not?" I asked him. 

He pulled me close to him as a shopper with a cart passed where I'd stood. I didn't move away from him after she'd gone."Because," Stephen answered. "We still have a list of things we need to buy--" 

Something on Stephen beeped, and he frowned. "I've to take this." 

He nudged me towards the cat towers and gave me a pleading look. 

The others came running when they heard Stephen walking up and down the next aisle. He was agitated and arguing with someone in French, who slowly wore him down. 

Twenty minutes later, Stephen came back with a dark look on his face, and messy hair. My heart fell into my stomach, and I knew what he was going to say before he said it. "I'm so sorry, love." 

Boo looked between us, concerned. "What happened?" 

I cut Stephen off before he could answer. "It's a ghost." I whispered.  



	2. The Ghost of the Underground.

The door to Stephen's bedroom rattled, before the door opened, and he came out of his room dressed in his uniform, his back stiff to us as he closed the door carefully, and for a long time. "Stephen?" I called out, concerned. He turned his face to look at me. He was always pale, but now he looked bloodless. His face was stark white against his dark hair. His eyes and mouth were set so thin in his face. His expression was pinched, pained.

I looked down to avoid seeing him like that, and then I understood why he looked that way... 

He carried two termini in his hands. 

"We're all going. Including Rory. I don't like this. I don't like this plan. But it's to save people from a potentially murderous ghost. 

We surround him in a triangular formation. Rory, use your power as an absolute last resort." He ordered. 

Once I said okay, he looked at me hard. Apparently convinced, he turned to Freddie, and explained how the terminus works, and their history to her. While she seemed fascinated, and looked all over them, probably quietly quoting Shakespeare to herself in awe, Callium got up and left the room, while Stephen waved me to the kitchen. Rory, would you check the torches for battery life?" He asked. 

I realized I don't know where the batteries were, etc. I head Stephen and Boo's voices coming from his room. I raised my hand to knock, when Stephen's voice rose. "Boo, get Rory out of there! Should anything go wrong. If she got hurt --" I pressed my ear to the door, but it was quiet on the other side. I looked through the keyhole. Stephen's face was twisted up. He looked away, and ran a hand through his hair until it stuck up. 

Boo gazed at him, clapped a hand on his shoulder, and and nodded solemnly. 

I got back to the kitchen, just before they did. 

"Everyone assembled?" He asked, voice calm. Detached. Professional. He looked like the last five or fifteen minutes had never happened. Then he caught my eye, and I saw the guilt there before he turned away. "Right, let's go." He said, and we filed out. 

A large old clock, and a bright blue train timer thing (a sharp contrast to the colorful ads on the walls) hung above the heads of the people scattered around us in groups on the floor. They didn't seem to care if anything up there came crashing down, like in The Phantom of the Opera. (I'd seen it for a friend's birthday. Things got messy afterwards, that day.) 

I thought all of this as we walked through a subway station that was  
a stainless steel and fluorescence lights that buzzed overhead. The place was completely monochrome, and thin yellow line on the floor. It caught the eye immediately, warning you: don't get too close! 

A dark figure stood at the end of the tunnel. 

Underground, all the colors were dingy and washed out. It was big down there, and the darkness engulfed us all. You could get lost easily down here, I thought. I shivered. We switched our flashlights on as quickly as possible, through we split up, we kept each other in sight. I felt very small as I walked carefully around the rails, looking for the ghost. 

Stephen found him first. I saw him talking to a jittery, wary figure. His eyes glowed amber in the dark, like a cat's. I ran over as he glared at Stephen, and shouted. "I'm not going with you! Stinking pig, I told you they'll be back for me, I know it! And I'll be here to see 'em!"

My termini made a halo of light as I held it up, fingers on the buttons. The ghost illuminated by the light was a jittery, wary boy with blond hair. He looked at us with surprise, suspension, and finally, fear as we surrounded him. Then he bobbed, weaved, doged, fented us so fast, I only saw flashes of his raggedy old coat as if flapped around. I felt tension rise in the air around him. He looked at me like a hunted, dangerous animal, and lunged at me. I stumbled back. 

Callum lunged for him as the boy leapt back, Callum's termini missing him by inches. "No!" The boy's cry rose above Callum's angry yelling. The boy turned his head towards something, then I couldn't see him anymore. 

Giant eyes covered the walls and ceiling. They were all on us. They stared at us from the dark with dislike deepening to hatred. We stuck together, back to back. I looked around, fearful and wary. Minutes passed, and nothing happened. Then he attacked 

Cat One sat there coolly while attacked. Stared the fhost down. Eventually, low to ground, and still but for tail twitching, it swatted him away. 

Cat Two crouched protectively over the other cat, hissed at the ghost, and ran toward him with a swat. 

The cats yowl, and sprang at the boy with teeth and claws. They all crashed into me. There was a burst of light. Then I felt the worst pain in my life. I was still falling, and all I could think was I'M GOING TO HIT CONCRETE. It was going to hurt. A lot.

As I crashed into Stephen, I felt him stagger, and I thought we'd both go down. But then he stopped, staggered, and the world righted again as his arms tightened around me.

My head swam with the smell of burnt flowers everywhere. 

Voices echoed down the tunnel, and rang painfully loudly in my head. 

"What happened?" 

"Is Rory alright? Stephen, check her pulse." 

"Stephen, get her out of here!" 

I kept my eyes closed. I was tired. Stephen held me steady and ran his fingers over my forehead, then in my hair, poking and prodding my head. Then he put his fingers on the base of my neck, checking for a pulse as he called my name over and over with a strained, frantic voice I'd never heard before. 

I groaned, which I guess was enough for him. Stephen picked me up and started running, jostling me. The only thing better than being carried in his arms, was being carried in his arms if he was shirtless, I thought sleepily. I was vaguely aware of a car door opening, and laying on something soft. Then sirens going off, and I thought _Wow, someone's having a bad day._

__And then the darkness pulled me under._ _

**Author's Note:**

> At what point did you feel like "Ah, now the story has really begun!" ?
> 
> What were the points you felt like skimming?
> 
> Where did you stop reading the first time, Reader?
> 
> I'm looking for a beta who knows how to write emotionally, is good at pacing and characterization, and sends back feedback quickly and promptly, but just answers to the above questions will help a ton!
> 
> Thanks for reading! It's important, and means so much to me!


End file.
